Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-19
THE FAMOUS FRENCH SALON.
COteries Of Paris i'm the Seven
teenth and Eighteenth Centuries.

teenSn ana eighteenth Centuries
Nh srOEFoRD TAKES THE TRAVEL CLUB Oh JOURNEY
IN TEE PAST-THE NFIUKNcE OF THESE LITERARY
GATHBRIN0s-AcHKILEUb KAGkREHss FOR THEIR
APFLAUsE, &C.
In washington, where social and political life
are so interviewer that they form one and the same
fabric, II has often been suggested that there
might Dc revival OF the famous French salon, in
modern ana Americanized form. The fact that
the National Capital seems destined to be the
center OF art, literature and science, as well OF
politics. mas suggested to the minds Of many that
at some ume these must unite to control society,
and that they will meet In assemblies as brilliant
as the salons OF Paris In the seventeenth and egh-
teenth centuries. The endless rounds Of recep-
lions that now occupy Washington society so COM
pletely during the season might develop, under
the influence of brilliant men and women. a more
intellectual character than that Of being merely
occasions for handshaking and feasting
fore tie travel club ths %eef s fsae G
paper on the literary salons OF France which shows
the wonderful power and influence exerted by the
sembled nightly at the
HOTEL DE RAxBounLEr,
nom 162O ON through nearly half a century, he
says, were composed OF the elite of the French
capital, as is well known. They comprised mar
quises ministers Of state born duchesses and
devout abbes and learned professors Under the
auspices OF the beautiful Catherine de vevonne,
the MaIqaiss dc Rambouillet, the members Of the
brilliant circle entertained each other with lively
discussions sallies OF wit rondeaux and madrigals
the acting Of charades and the capping Of verses
poetica i rotations 81 ana neH mu naS
both vocal and instrumental, from mas
yer Terry p performer There Cornsille rehearsed
those piquant maxims, which have been drawn
Oh. Ike wine from decanter, into the literature
cQtor1e In 1000 hundred vvtttv
sallies or sharpened their curiosity by his bouts
rimes. There RcheNeu, before he became the
De sevigne sometimes gathered there the news and
gossip OF the court which she afterwards distilled
into neT wo1 1n Letters There Mademoselle
CzeNe made many studies There young Bossuet
afterwards bishop OF Meaux, the light Of the
his lrst sermon. There were frequently seen
Mademoiselle de Montpenster, the Madame de
Sable. Charlotte de Montmorency, Madame de
herself from the world at Port koyaD Madame
Deshoulieres, and even Madame de Maintenon, be-
and the learned Able Huet, pu6licist, critic and
NJ historian, VINO was won't to say that all the
literature t,,ai a, ana learning OF the world night
vtded nothing was said more than once.
RICHELlEu AND THE LITERARY coTERR
NO more striking proof of the wide influence Of
this literary coter1e could be found than that the
great Cardinal Rchelieu when at the height of his
extraordinary power, sought to know how he was
OF him at 1ts.aSSemblies. This salon thus filed
zines, that then had no existence, as dinuser OF
Intelligence. The scientific, the literary and the
political activities which now pour themselves
into the press, the forum and the learned societies.
were then constrained to ind vent in such social
gatherings as assembled under the hospitable roof
OF the Hotel de Rambou1llet Besides the nightly
gatherings that were prolonged through so many
years at the Hotel de Rambouiliet, there were
others In that or In the succeeding generation
worthy Of note.
MADEMoIsE1LR DE sCuDERY
had her Saturday evening salons where were as
sembled many notable people who talked of every
thing from affairs Of state to matters Of fashion
Politics, war, the arts, literature and "the news"
might be brought upon the carpet. The woman
who could draw all those people around her chad
Italian" and twas accomplished In drawing
painting and needlework, besides understanding
housekeeping and cookery" She ''wrote SO VOL
umnS and lived "a years."
Other famous salons were those of Madame de
sevigne, at the Hotel de Carnavalet, where Mon
sieur de la Rochefoucauld moralized, Madame de
Lafayette discoursed OF the heart, and the Cardi-
nal De Ritz recOunted his travels.
THE DAYS OF voLTAIRE.
A century later, in the days Of voltaire Madame
Du Defiant gathered about her the distinguished
and Intellectual men and women Of the period at
her petits soupers. yoitaire, the President He
Madame de La Motto, MOntesquieu, David Hume
and many other such distinguished people ex-
cnangea W.T. ana wisdom yh at her delicious little
the long succession OF literary coteries in France
the salons OF Madame de Genlis, OF Madame Necker,
ings were gathered La Harpe, Marmontel, Fou-
tanes, &c. OF the learned Able Morellet, OF the
famed and Inflated Madame Roland, of Madame de
Remusat, the confdant OF Josephine; OF Madame
de Pastoral, and OF the keen politician, Madame
Tallien.